Tour of California moves to May in 2010
A scene from the Solvang time trial in the 2008 Tour of California (AFP/Getty Images)
The Tour of California will move from its traditional mid-February date to its requested slot in May for 2010. It will also be given ProTour status in 2011.
The news was confirmed by Andrew Messick, president of AEG Sports, organisers of the Tour of California, to Cyclingnews.
The race will take place on May 16 to 23, within the same time slot as the Giro d'Italia. "We will be head-to-head with the Giro but frankly I don't think that will really affect us," Messick said. "The Giro is a great race, but very few cyclists who are serious about the Tour de France will also race the Giro."
Tour of California organisers met with McQuaid and the International Cycling Union's road commission at its headquarters in Switzerland early last week to discuss the possible date change.
"We sorted it all out with Pat McQuaid," Messick said. "We talked about possibilities in April, May, June and even November but we always wanted to be in May."
The May slot, according to Messick, will turn the Tour of California into a preparation race for the Tour de France.
"I think being a lead-up to the Tour is the strongest place for us to be and we will have many of the Tour de France riders participating. The teams can do the Classics, the Tour de Romandie, take a break and still have enough time to get over to California for our race. They can even go back to Europe and do the Dauphiné [Libéré].
"We will start to plan the new courses now. We are fairly decided on a particular mountain top finish. We definitely have one."
Messick said the May date will allow access to more terrain in the high Sierra Mountains that are normally covered with snow.
The date change may have saved the race; Messick said if they did not receive the date change the event may not have happened in 2010.
"We would have had to make some difficult decisions. There was just no appetite to stay a February race."
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User Comments
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rim job
Posted Wed 6 May, 11:21 pm UTC Flag as inappropriate
"...but very few cyclists who are serious about the Tour de France will also race the Giro..." said with such authority...somebody has been smoking crack and started believing their own BS. I think the likes of Menchov, Satre and Leipheimer all take the Tour de France pretty seriously and are competing in both along with half the pro tour!
Nobody takes the Giro seriously?!/ what an idiot.
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nedhoey
Posted Thu 7 May, 3:29 am UTC Flag as inappropriate
I'm very skeptical that a top notch field can be counted upon during the worlds 2nd ranked Grand Tour. That is always going to restrict the potential for growth. While mid february may have seemed too risky for acceptably dry weather march might be somewhat better and as a lead in to Milan San Remo might make sense.
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mattfaulkner
Posted Thu 7 May, 5:42 pm UTC Flag as inappropriate
Are they crazy?!
The Giro is a fantastic race with way more history than the TOC and is taken very seriously! There are loads of big names who are going to be there, as well as at the Tour de France.
The TOC is in danger of becoming, to the Giro d'Italia, what the Tour of Langkawi is to the Tour de France. I think this is the Americans being naive and only taking note of one rider's actions (Alberto Contador) who rides for the same team as a certain Lance Armstrong. Just because he is a Tour contender and is missing the Giro does not mean that many of the others will (Sastre, Menchov, Gesink?).
The Giro is way harder too (it's tougher than the TdF) and is longer than the ToC giving the TdF contenders 2-3 weeks of solid riding to provide base race miles for the TdF, rather than a week of medio racing in medio terrain in California.
Giro= Bigger crowds, more racing time available, Better (Wildcard) Riders, More history, and better looking podium girls ;).
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